


Charles Xavier X Reader – House of Memories

by writeyouin



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 19:46:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14244450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeyouin/pseuds/writeyouin
Summary: Request: After what happened in Cuba, the reader escaped after erasing everyone's mind of their existence, also planting fake memories of Charles and Moira. Many years later, Charles who is married to Moira met the reader again. He then remembered the reader and tried to win their love back. Not wanting to hurt Moira's feelings , the reader convinced Charles to stay with Moira. Charles sadly agreed and the two became best friends instead.





	Charles Xavier X Reader – House of Memories

You examined your reflection in the bathroom mirror, using the sink to support your weight, it looked too pale, almost sickly, reflecting the turmoil inside strongly. It should never have come to this, you shouldn’t have had to fight Erik, Charles shouldn’t have been paralysed, Cuba shouldn’t have happened; there were a lot of things that shouldn’t have occurred but life didn’t work like that, life never listened to the word shouldn’t. Your head began to ache with unbridled emotional pain, the worst part was that it wasn’t even your pain; the power that life had bestowed upon you was unusual, one you had never seen before or since, it was the ability to use the mutations of the last three mutants you had touched, how well you used that ability depended on the skill of its owner and the time you had to practice yourself.

Splashing your face with cold water you decided that it was finally time to go through with your plan, you were ready to see Charles… for the last time. Wearing a very fake, bright smile you headed to the medical room where Charles was in recovery, Hank stood at the door making various notes on charts lying around.

“Hey Fuzzylumpkin, how is he today?” You asked Hank.

Hank gave an affectionate smile back at your usual nickname, “Chomping at the bit to see you, he seems excited today, I think he’s finally recovering.”

“Great, then I’ll just slip in and see what’s going on.”

“No problem.”

You bounced over to the bed in the corner where Charles lay reading one of his many books on genetics, he put it down immediately when he saw you however.

“(Y/N) my darling, I have been waiting for you,” he rejoiced, leaning forward to give you a tender kiss which transferred all his abilities over to you.

In that one moment you debated whether you were doing the right thing, you loved this wonderful, generous, witty, man but here you stood, ready to leave him.

“You seem energetic today, Hank upped your pain pills?”

“Ah ha very funny, I’ll have you know that I always perk up when I see you.”

“If this is what it does to you then I’ll have to stop coming,” the quip hurt more than it should have.

“That would be a true travesty now wouldn’t it. Ok though, enough with the jokes, there’s something we have to talk about.”

He pulled you onto the bed, caressing your hand gently and looked calmly into your eyes, something about the small gesture made you feel safe, as if everything could somehow be forgotten in an instant. “(Y/N) I- I have been in this bed for a while now and it’s given me a lot of time to think. I know what happened in Cuba was awful and we lost a lot of people who we shall never forget… The memories of them made me think how awful life would be without you in it, if I had lost you I would have-”

Fresh tears sprung to his eyes which he fought back to continue, “What I’m trying to say is you stayed with me that entire time, helping where you could and supporting me where I needed it; I want that for the rest of my life and I also want to give that same support and love to you. (F/N) (L/N), my darling, will you do me a great honour,” He pulled a ring box from under his pillow, “And marry me?”

Now it couldn’t be stopped, you broke out into bouts of fresh tears and sobbed into your hands; Charles didn’t have a chance to react for you had used the third power you had borrowed, the power to control time. You stared long and hard at his perfect features, his expression one of nervous excitement and got ready to restart the clock, taking extra care in putting on the biggest smile anyone had ever seen.

“Charles Xavier, your proposal could without a doubt make me the happiest person in the world, but I think you need to do this properly. Call everyone in here and I’ll accept your proposal okay?”

“As usual you are quite right, who wouldn’t want to be seen accepting my proposal? After all it would be quite a cause of envy.”

You hit him lightly in the arm, “Keep pushing and there’ll be a quick divorce.”

“Considering you just hit a crippled man I don’t think that would be a problem.”

“Just get everyone in here.”

Charles did as you requested sending out a telepathic request to everyone who had been in Cuba; Hank was the first to arrive, followed closely by Alex, then most importantly Moira.

“I’m glad you’re all here,” Charles announced, “You see I have been told that I have done something incorrectly and must change my ways by my beautiful partner here so let’s try this again shall we?”

The group looked around, unsure as to what was going on when Charles pulled out the ring box for a second time, “Now that everyone’s here to witness this, (F/N) (M/N) (L/N), will you make me the happiest man on this earth and marry me?”

There was a round of applause around the room, Alex as per usual was wreaking havoc by creating extra noise, whistling and cheering louder than anyone, Hank had never looked happier for his friend, and Moira, sweeter than anyone you knew, was thinking how wonderful the wedding would be and feeling genuine love for the pair of you. With a discreet wave of your hand the room fell silent, time had stopped once more.

Looking now at the group you had the confidence to speak, knowing that they couldn’t hear you, “I love you all so much, when I thought that no family could accept me you changed all that… you are all my family,” the speech went on through burning breaths, as the tears flowed freely once again, “Charles Xavier, I wish I could accept your proposal, I really do because I know that nobody could make me happier than you. That’s the problem though isn’t it… I’m being selfish. I know you could make me happier than anyone else but I just- I feel like a liar, we killed our friends, other mutants- it’s not our fault but we had to do it anyway; I can’t see you every day and remember what we all had to do – I’m sorry.”

By this point you weren’t crying so much as wailing, red itchy blotches speckled your cheeks and eventually when the tears had died down you were left with uneven breaths, like there wasn’t enough air in the world. A numbing weight pressed down upon you, this was the worst part of all, feeling nothing; feeling pain was decidedly better than feeling empty.

“Ok now, time to get into gear,” you gulped.

Moving everything into place was easy, except Moira, who you had ungracefully dragged to Charles’ bedside. Then placing two fingers to your head as you had seen Charles do many times before, their memories of you were replaced with false, happier ones of Moira; to them you had never existed. Most of the memories were easy to replace but Charles proved difficult, you wondered whether that was because it was his power you had borrowed or whether it was because some small part of you didn’t want to do this.

The second you left the room you restarted the clock, listening to the cheers from outside the door, there was an ecstatic scream of “Yes” from Moira; listening to her happiness made the situation feel just a little bit more bearable, yet no less bitter.

There was nothing left to do now but walk away; walk away and never return.

* * *

**Six years later:**

Over time the pain of what you had done faded but it never left completely; the weight of being a thief was a tough burden to bear. Your days were now spent working as a museum tour guide, using a borrowed power that allowed you to retain and recite any information read or heard. A glance at the museums’ overhanging clock revealed that the next tour was in five minutes; a school tour comprising of 12 students and their headmaster.

When you arrived at the starting point of the tour you wondered whether there had been a mistake, no group, large or small, was there to meet you.

“Excuse me miss,” a charming British voice sounded from behind you, “But I’m afraid we’re a tad late, please accept my apology.”

“I can assure you sir that it’s really no proble-” You turned around to face Charles Xavier, seeing him brought back all the painful memories, all the loving ones, every tender moment, and all the sweet whispers. Rushing to regain composure you continued, “Terribly sorry, I seem to be a little distracted, you are the school tour?”

“That we are, Charles Xavier, pleasure to meet you.”

He offered his hand which you accepted shakily, “(F/N) (L/N), the pleasure is all mine.”

He held on longer than he should have, a crease forming in his usually smooth brow, “Excuse me for asking but have we met before?”

“No, I don’t believe we have.”

“Are you sure? You seem so familiar.”

“Quite sure, I don’t get out much, this place keeps my hands full.”

“Of course, shall we get on with it then?”

“Yes. Students,” the students turned their attention to you, “If you would please come this way, we will start our tour in the Mesozoic era.”

* * *

Moira looked towards Charles curiously, he seemed to have been pondering something very deeply; after six years of marriage she was always able to detect his odd moods, no matter how he tried to hide them. Walking over to him, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, he looked up at her, an unsure expression on his face; somehow something just felt wrong, like something was missing… no not missing, misplaced.

“What’s wrong sweetheart?” she probed gently.

“Nothing Moira my precious, nothing at all.”

“Come on now Charles, I know that look.”

“Of course you do, sorry. I just- I don’t know what it is but I can’t shake this feeling about somebody I met today.”

“What’s the feeling?”

“Familiarity, I could have sworn we’d met before but (s)he didn’t feel the same.”

Moira smiled poignantly, she’d seen him act similar in times of stress or over-work, “I’m sure they just looked familiar, now come to bed.”

Charles rubbed his head, sighing, “As usual you’re probably right, I’ll be there in a minute my darling.”

Darling? The word struck him with an uncomfortable familiarity, it was a word that he had never used once on Moira during all their time together but it felt like something he should know. Had he used it before? Yes, on his proposal.

“That’s it, I remember now. When I asked Moira to marry me I used the word darling… didn’t I?” He whispered aloud.

Thinking back to that day all those years ago he remembered the scene perfectly, Moira sat on his bedside looking happier than ever, Hank and Alex where in the room too, the he said the words, “(F/N) (L/N), my darling, will you do me a great honour and marry me?”

With that one name, that one simple name, a flood of memories came rushing back, leaving Charles reeling. He remembered everything, your time spent together, how he had spent time picking a ring for you, the day he proposed… the feeling of memories being altered.

A small whimper escaped his lips and he covered his mouth to stop more as he fought away waves of fresh tears.

* * *

You sat at your desk, skimming over the new material from the museum, when Charles’ voice boomed powerfully in your head, “ _(Y/N), I just- God… I need to talk to you- I remember you, why (Y/N), why would you do that?_ ”

Devastating realisation hit you, it had never occurred to you that Charles should remember you or find out what had occurred, “ _How? How did you-_ ” You began.

“ _It doesn’t matter, now please… answer my question… please._ ”

The distress in his voice was clear, it had the desired effect, you broke down into mental hysteria and the truth came flooding out; you told him everything, what you were feeling, why you had done it, how you had done it, everything.

“ _We could have… If you had just told me… I have spent six years living a lie. (Y/N) I still love you, I know this is hard but please, come back to me; you have to know that I still love you as much as I did then. This must be difficult for you- Look don’t answer right now but at least come up to the mansion and-_ ”

“ _No- Just… You were always like this, so generous, you just learnt that I stole memories from you and your first thought is wondering how I’m coping with the loss. Charles, I- I’ve moved on,_ ” this was a blatant lie but you hoped he wouldn’t see through it, “ _We_ _both need to think about_   _what’s best now, think about Moira, surely after all this time you love her?_ ”

Charles couldn’t deny that, while he was still in love with you he had grown to love Moira intimately over the years, “ _I-_ ”

“ _I know you think you love me but I swear to you, that’s just because the memories are fresh, you never had time to heal; I robbed you of that. Charles I- I am so sorry, at the time I thought I was saving you from the pain I felt, now I realise that I was just being a huge coward and I wish I could make up for that. The only thing I can do now is request something, which I have no right to do but I am going to do it anyway, promise me… promise me you’ll stay with Moira, can you do that?_ ”

His voice began to shake, “ _I can but… please do something for me in return._ ”

“ _Anything, just tell me what and I’ll do it._ ”

“ _I know you can’t be with me but… if we can’t be together then can we at least still be friends; I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I can’t bear to spend a life without you._ ”

Pondering his request, you took a moment to answer, “ _…_   _Okay_.”

“ _Thank you, come up to the house soon, we have a lot to discuss and I think you’ll find much has changed._ ”

* * *

Walking through the double doors into “Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters” proved an easier task than you had imagined; over the past few weeks you and Charles had been rebuilding burnt bridges with long conversations through Cerebro.

A child with huge wings flew past you at high speeds, “Thomas what have I told you about flying past guests,” Charles chided, joining you at the door.

“Sorry professor,” the boy called back before zooming off once more.

“(Y/N), I’m glad you made it, what do you think?”

“It’s amazing Charles, just like you always dreamed it would be,” you replied in awe.

“Would you like the guided tour?”

“Naturally.”

Moira entered the room distractedly, “Sweetheart have you seen the- Oh hello, Charles you never told me you had company today.”

She held her hand out to you which you accepted gracefully, Charles watched the interaction apprehensively then introduced you properly, “Moira this is (Y/N), (s)he is a very old friend of mine.”

“Really? I thought I knew all of your old friends by now.”

“Yes well-”

“I’ve been away for some time,” you jumped in, “Now I’m back though and we’ve been catching up.”

“That’s fantastic to hear,” she replied enthusiastically, as sweet as ever.

“Not only that,” Charles steered the conversation back on track, “(Y/N), has graciously decided to fill the role of our new teacher, her abilities make her a good choice as a mentor for teaching control.”

“Is that so? Well you and me will have to talk some more, I hope you’ll find your way around.”

You shared a glance with Charles, “I’m sure I will, somehow this place feels just like home.”


End file.
